By Ben Oroko
The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Ogembo Tea Factory Ltd Chairman, James Ombasa Omweno has tipped students on the importance of embracing personal responsibility and discipline for them to succeed in their academic endeavors.
Omweno, who is also a member of the KTDA Holdings, at the same time challenged students to equally consider having a positive attitude towards their education if they expect to reap benefits.
Speaking during the burial of Alice Nyaboke Oroko at Keragia Village of Bomachoge Chache constituency in Kisii County, Omweno decried increasing cases of student indiscipline in the region, attributing the situation to declining parental responsibility and erosion of moral values in the society.
“It is important for each student from whatever background to embrace positive attitude and change their negative mindset towards some subjects or their education if they want to excel not only in their education, but also their future careers,” stated Omweno.
Responding to the area tea farmers’ outcry over alleged delay in payments of mini-tea bonus proceeds early this year, out of which they expected to pay school fees for their children, he reminded them that there was no such arrangement in all the tea growing zones in the western part of the Rift-Valley.
Omweno regretted that, it was not possible for farmers from the affected regions to be paid the much anticipated mini-tea bonus, clarifying that the rate at which they would have based the payments was negligible and would have not assisted the farmers as they expected.
Instead, they consulted with Tea Buying Centres Committee Chairpersons and resolved to suspend the payments to be consolidated to the subsequent final tea bonus payments.
“It was not possible for us to meet those expectations since our tea sales volumes and the rate at which we would have based the payments did not add up,” clarified Omweno.
